


if you wanna reach me

by HyperchaoticStarlight (MVPYurio)



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Banter, Cuddling & Snuggling, Except he fucks up in chapter 3, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Jarvis (Iron Man movies) is a Good Bro, Loki is a good boyfriend, Love, M/M, Magic, Not Canon Compliant, Tony Stark Cuddles, Tony Stark Has Nightmares, Tony Stark Needs Sleep, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, at all, not team Cap friendly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-30
Updated: 2019-03-04
Packaged: 2019-09-30 16:38:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,035
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17227574
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MVPYurio/pseuds/HyperchaoticStarlight
Summary: Loki gives Tony a charm to call him.





	1. crisis

**Author's Note:**

> Word to the wise: if you get nearly 2500 hits on a piece in 5 days, keep doing whatever it was you were doing.
> 
> Also, quick warning: this piece changes around from past to present tense depending on what feels right. I promise I don't switch within a single chapter.
> 
> Huge thank you to the Frostiron server for all of your support!! <3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to patrochillez and genderfluid-loki (aka whichlights/witchlightsands) for beta'ing this fella. Lots of love! <3

It's one of those nights. Tony's had a particularly difficult round of nightmares and now he's lying awake, tossing and turning at two in the morning, unable to go back to sleep. Part of him wants to say "fuck it all" and go to the lab, but he hasn't slept properly in days and he keeps feeling shittier and shittier.

There's a way out, of course; there's always been a way out, but he doesn't want to use it. Or, more accurately, he wants to but doesn't think he should, even though there's no reason for him not to. Loki has told him _at least_ a hundred times that it's not "only for emergencies," but regardless, Tony continues to promise he will only use it in times of crisis.

Is this a time of crisis? He's exhausted beyond belief, unable to sleep, possibly still crying but too numb to tell. Does that qualify as a crisis? What about waking up screaming?

"You're muttering to yourself, sir."

Yup, that tracks.

"Whether or not this qualifies as a 'time of crisis' is irrelevant," JARVIS continues, because he's JARVIS and has been plowing over Tony to call his shit for the last decade. "If I may make a suggestion—"

"Will saying that I know what your suggestion is shut you up?" Tony interrupts. JARVIS doesn't respond. "Good. Thanks."

The problem with JARVIS is that he's usually right. He's an asshole, but he's usually right.

Reluctantly, Tony opens the drawer in his nightstand and fumbles around until he finds what he's looking for—a stone about the size of a quarter, dark green and etched with gold. He wraps his fingers around it and closes his eyes. "Loki," he whispers—does he even say it out loud? Who knows.

He doesn't need to open his eyes to know that Loki has arrived. Hell, he doesn't even need to feel the shift in weight as Loki perches next to him. He just _knows._

"I need to make this charm more sensitive," says Loki, "so it will summon me even if you refuse to call me to you. I failed to consider how stubborn you can be."

Tony sighs. Of course Loki knew that he'd been hesitant. "Were you watching me?"

"I don't need to," says Loki. "I can sense your trepidation when you call me."

Even better.

But in a way, it's comforting, because now Tony knows that Loki made the comment about his stubbornness in jest.

"What is it that you fear?" Loki asks quietly, brushing the hair from Tony's face. "That I won't come? That I'll be angry?"

"That you have better things to do.”

"I usually don't," says Loki. "But if I did, I would simply choose to ignore you."

"You never do, though.”

Loki smiles—the non-creepy one that only comes out for Tony. "Exactly."

_Oh._

"Enough about that, though," says Loki, lying down next to Tony. He waves his hand, and the bed remakes itself, sheets and blankets that Tony's twisted and kicked off the bed falling back into place. "How long has it been since you've slept properly?"

"Are we going by your standards or mine?" Tony asks.

Loki rolls his eyes. "JARVIS?"

"Five days," JARVIS replies, like the traitorous piece of shit he is.

"I find your lack of sleep disturbing," says Loki.

"Oh, for fuck's sake," Tony mutters as Loki begins to laugh. "I knew I shouldn't've let you and Peter have that movie night. He's turned you into a nerd."

Again with the non-creepy smile. "Well, I enjoyed it."

Tony scoots a little closer to Loki and tentatively reaches towards him. Loki responds immediately, pulling the exhausted mortal into his arms.

"I can tell you're on the edge of tears," Loki says, stroking Tony's hair—fucking hell, he _knows_ that Tony has a weakness for being petted, like some kind of touch-starved cat. "You needn't hide them from me."

"But I want to," Tony protests, except he doesn't, and Loki knows it, and seconds later he's crying, softly at first but then louder and louder. Loki only holds him closer, somehow tighter and gentler at the same time, letting Tony feel.

Tony can't understand why Loki is so gentle with him, why Loki doesn't mock his fragility or leave. He's a prince and a god, for fuck's sake, clever and powerful and beautiful, and Tony is a mortal, a tired, broken mortal.

"You're muttering again," says Loki, and Tony wants nothing more than to punch himself in the face and then disappear. "I'm here because I want to be, Anthony, and because I know that if I were the one tired and lost and afraid, you would let me cry in your arms just as I let you cry in mine." Loki kisses Tony’s forehead and caresses his cheek. "To me, the fact that you let yourself be vulnerable with me is an honor, and one that I treasure more than any other."

"Why?" Tony asks, almost inaudibly.

"Because I know how difficult this is for you," Loki replies. "You pride yourself on your strength. Your façade of invincibility rivals my own—don't scoff, Anthony; I speak the truth. One doesn't need magic to create an effective mask. Anyone with enough force of will can do it, and your willpower is unmatched. And yet, here you are, opening yourself to me, although I suspect you're still holding back." Tony's face reddens just slightly, and Loki knows he's right. "Let go, Anthony. You're safe here, and you always will be."

"I'm scared," Tony whispers.

Loki holds Tony closer. "I know."

And that's enough. The floodgates open, and the moment they do, Loki is showering Tony in kisses and rocking him back and forth, surrounding Tony in warmth, in _love,_ which only encourages Tony to let go further, which earns him even more affection, and on and on. Loki is saying something, crooning softly in that beautiful voice, too quiet for Tony to understand, but from his tone, Tony can tell that it's meant to be comforting—and it is, so very comforting.

Eventually, Tony is too exhausted to keep crying, or maybe he just doesn't have any tears left. Loki sits up, pulling Tony with him, and conjures a cup of water. "Drink," he says firmly, and Tony does, the water coming as sweet relief to his dry throat.

"Thanks," Tony mumbles, resting his head on Loki's shoulder.

"There's no need.” Loki kisses Tony's temple and then his cheeks, brushing away leftover tears. "Seeing you at peace is thanks enough."

"Wouldn't go that far," says Tony. "More at peace than I was thirty minutes ago, sure."

"Fair enough." Loki pauses for a moment. "Anthony?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

Tony gives a weak smile. "Love you too."

"You need sleep, my darling," says Loki. Tony gives him a look that he can't place. "What?"

"Will you help me?" Tony asks shyly. "With magic, I mean."

Loki sighs. He knows at least ten sleeping spells. Tony could fall asleep with a click of his fingers. But Loki doesn't like using this kind of magic. Those kinds of things have to be wanted, and Tony is so tired that he may only be asking out of desperation.

"Please," Tony begs. "I keep having nightmares, and I've been trying to fall asleep for hours. Please, Loki. I know you have a thing about it, but—"

Tony's trembling now, yawning over and over again, and Loki realizes that this desperation _is_ want. And besides, if Loki refuses him, Tony may be afraid to ask for help in the future.

"Alright," he says. He lies down under the covers, pulling Tony with him. “Breathe for me. The magic will work more efficiently if you’re relaxed.”

Once Tony's breathing steadies, Loki begins to whisper in his ear. At first, Tony can understand it, a mix of shushing and soothing nonsense, but then it begins to change; the words in between the shushes stop sounding like English. Waves of sleepiness cascade over his mind, making it harder and harder for Tony to concentrate on the words, so he stops trying.

"That's it," Loki whispers. "Now sleep, my sweet Anthony."

And then he's gone.

Loki smiles when the spell takes hold and Tony drifts away completely. He’s always so beautiful in his sleep—something about his face when he’s relaxed, or the rise and fall of his chest, or the way he mumbles in his sleep if he’s having a particularly engaging dream.

Of course, he’s not dreaming now; Loki made sure of that. In the past, Loki has tried to guide Tony’s subconscious and keep it from going down a dark path, but the sheer amount of pain and trauma locked away in Anthony’s mind makes such a task nigh impossible. It’s far easier to take his dreams away altogether.

Admittedly it’s a heady feeling, seeing Tony in a magically-induced peace. Despite his reformation, Loki remains a bit of a control freak. He can’t help but enjoy the knowledge that Tony’s subconscious is cradled in the palm of his hands. If he wanted, he could remove the protective spells and allow Tony’s subconscious to roam free, or he could yank the mortal from sleep entirely.

 _But you won’t,_ Tony’s voice echoes in his mind, _because you’re better than that._

But really, it’s just because he’s in love with the reckless, ridiculous mortal in his arms.

Usually, this is the point where Loki leaves, teleports away so Tony can sleep and get on with his mortal life. The spell will ensure that Tony gets an adequate amount of sleep, and tomorrow, he will wake up and do all of the things genius hero billionaires do, with little to no aid from the God of Mischief.

Except Tony’s shifted so that his head is resting on Loki’s chest, and he tenses in his sleep every time the hand in his hair stills. When Loki tries to shift Tony off of him, Tony actually whimpers, even as he tries to soothe him.

“I see we’re in a clingy mood tonight,” Loki sighs, settling back in. Tony nuzzles against Loki’s chest, and Loki can feel himself going weak. “But what am I going to do, move? I’m the mage, and yet _you_ have cast a spell on _me._ You’ve ruined me, my beautiful Man of Iron. Absolutely ruined me.”

He kisses Tony’s forehead and holds him close, and eventually, he drifts off as well.


	2. cahoots

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to starsdidathing for some of the ideas involving Loki singing and humming to Tony. And of course, my love to Roleb and the FI server for being supportive as I go even further into the dumpster.

Really, Loki didn’t understand how more people weren’t interested in Midgardian science.

Okay, so maybe his complete infatuation with one of Midgard’s best scientists left him a little biased, but still, even if he and Anthony weren’t dating—now _there_ was a thought he never wanted to think again—even so, the way Midgardians rationalized, hypothesized, synthesized, experimented, was absolutely fascinating.

But then again, maybe it was just the fact that he got his information from a certain ingenious Midgardian who had stolen his heart.

Speaking of…

**[[Anthony]]**

Are you still coming to the lab today?  
I have something cool I want to show you

How can I refuse?  
I’ll be there in five minutes.

~~~~

Tony all but jumped for joy when Loki said he’d be there in five minutes. He was still getting used to the fact that he was not only dating a god but also one who was so interested in his experiments. Not to dunk on Pepper or anything; she was wonderful, but having someone who wanted to hear about everything he did inside the Tower was… exhilarating.

“Would you like me to set a timer, sir?” JARVIS asked mirthfully.

Tony rolled his eyes. “Won’t be necessary, thanks.” He put down the tablet he’d been working on and began fiddling with the little charm Loki had given him. After being reassured that it was both physically and magically indestructible so long as the runes on it remained undisturbed, Tony had installed a tiny gold loop on the top so he could wear it like a necklace—and then he put it on a chain only he could remove. As loath as he was to admit it, he liked that he could call Loki to him whenever he pleased, and as convenient as having the little stone in his nightstand was, wearing it was even better.

A few moments later, the air grew slightly colder and Loki shimmered into view. Immediately, Tony leaped off of his stool and ran towards the god.

“I don’t think anyone’s greeted me with such enthusiasm since the last time I saved Asgard,” Loki mused as he caught Tony and pulled him into a hug. “And even then, I suspect Thor’s presence in the battle and subsequent return was the primary cause of such an overwhelmingly joyful reception.” He pulled away so he could see Tony’s face. “What excites you so, Man of Iron?”

Tony shrugged, not quite meeting Loki’s gaze. “I just missed you, that’s all. I haven’t seen you in nearly a week.”

Loki couldn’t help but shake his head in disbelief. Centuries of unwantedness, of being able to disappear for years and only Frigga and sometimes Thor missing him, and here was this man who would fling his arms around him after less than a week of absence.

“My sweet, precious Anthony,” he murmured, gently swaying back and forth with Tony in his arms, “you shall never cease to amaze me.”

“Your standards for amazement are too low,” said Tony, nuzzling into Loki’s chest.

“Quite the contrary. I am a god. My standards for amazement are, by definition, impeccable.”

“You’re amazed that I’m happy to see you.”

“Precisely.”

“But you’re a god.”

“Yes.”

“A god who’s amazed that someone is happy to see him.”

“Well, I never said I was a particularly _loved_ god.”

 _Ouch._ “Guess I gotta make up for all that lost time, then.”

“I’ve lived for centuries, Anthony. You’re the most brilliant man I’ve ever met, but I doubt you can make up that much time.”

Tony pulled away and looked Loki dead in the eye. “Try me.”

And there it was, that passion, that drive, that determination which captivated Loki’s heart every time it sparked in Tony’s eyes. Tony was like a fire, unceasing so long as he had something to fuel him, and apparently, his love for Loki was enough.

Well, two could play at that game. He leaned down and pulled Tony into a kiss, tangling his long fingers into the mortal’s dark, fluffy hair. Tony wound his arms around Loki’s neck and kissed back with fervor.

“I may not have been a loved god then, but I’m a lucky one now,” Loki breathed as they pulled apart. “How did I ever end up with you?”

“I believe you threw me out a window,” Tony replied. “At least, that’s how it started. Hey, wanna see what I’ve been working on?”

“Of course I do,” said Loki. “Tell me everything.”

 _“Well,”_ Tony began, “I was trying to figure out how to improve JARVIS, cuz, y’know, you can always improve things, and I realized—he’s great at communicating with people and with computers, but not with anything else. So we’re still working out the bugs, but now, he can analyze how entities communicate, teach himself their method of communication, and then communicate with them.”

“That’s amazing,” said Loki. He kissed Tony’s cheek. “You’re brilliant, Anthony. Absolutely brilliant.”

Tony gave him a soft smile. “Thanks, Lokes.”

Loki smiled back, but in the back of his mind, he had an idea.

~~~~

It was the middle of the night a few days later when Loki felt the charm activate again. He reached out towards it and was instantly met with something very different—colder, almost metallic. Nothing like the soft, plaintive calls he was used to.

“Looks like that worked, then,” he said quietly, and he teleported away.

He arrived in the lab and was immediately met with the sight of Tony, slumped over a workbench and trying to build something, despite being clearly half-asleep. He was so lost, either in his tiredness or his work—probably both—that he didn’t notice Loki had come in.

“Sir, it would appear that you have a visitor.”

Tony looked up and turned to see the mage leaning against the wall. “Lokes? What’re you doing here?”

Loki walked over to Tony’s side and ran a hand through his hair, smiling when Tony instinctively leaned into the touch. “I think it’s time you went to sleep, my love.”

“No—Lokes, I gotta finish—” He tried to pull away and get back to work, but Loki was being so gentle that he didn’t want to.

“JARVIS, how long?”

“Don’t you dare—”

“Seven days, Prince Loki.”

“Fucking hell, JARVIS,” Tony muttered. “Neither of you understands; I have to finish this—”

“Why?” Loki asked softly. “Why now?”

“Because—because—” Tony broke off, clenching his fists in frustration. “Because—”

“Sir, we’re only trying to help you,” said JARVIS. “I called Loki to you—”

“You what now?”

“JARVIS, you weren’t supposed to tell him that,” said Loki. “Yes, he did.”

“How in the everloving—”

Loki grinned mischievously. “Come to bed with me, and I’ll tell you in the morning.”

_“Loki—”_

“Going once… going twice…”

“Okay! Okay, I’ll come with you… but can I at least finish first?” Loki pulled him up off of the chair. “I guess that’s a no, then—Loki, what are you—”

“Sssshhh,” Loki murmured, pulling Tony into his arms and swaying gently. He began to hum in Tony’s ear, and Tony couldn’t help but relax, resting his head on Loki’s shoulder. Just as he did, Loki scooped him into his arms, cradling him close, and teleported them both into Tony’s bedroom, still humming.

“Loki,” Tony whispered, but Loki only shushed him again, even softer this time, and laid him down on the bed. A shimmer of green magic replaced his work clothes with pajamas. A few moments later, Loki laid down as well.

“Hey,” Tony mumbled sleepily, rolling onto his side to face Loki. Loki smiled and pulled him closer.

“Are you ready to rest, Anthony?” Loki asked, kissing Tony’s forehead.

“Don’t… think… I can… say no…”

“Mmmm, I think not.” Loki grinned again, almost wicked this time, but then his face softened. “Sleep, my lovely Man of Iron. I’ll be here in the morning.”

He brushed his hand over Tony’s cheek and started humming again, and then it turned to singing, in what Tony was pretty sure was the same language Loki had whispered in his ear the last time he had called Loki to him. Just as he had the last time, Tony tried to focus on the words, but eventually, it became too hard.

He drifted off to the sound of Loki’s voice, still singing softly in his ear.

~~~~

Tony woke up the next morning feeling far more refreshed than usual. He sat up, rubbing his eyes, and then he stretched… and promptly hit Loki in the face.

“Well, that’s one way to say good morning,” said Loki. “Sleep well?”

“Sorry,” Tony said sheepishly. “But yeah, I did sleep well.” He nudged Loki’s shoulder, smiling when the mage wrapped his arms around him and kissed the top of his head.

They sat like that for a few moments, and then Loki pulled away, much to Tony’s chagrin. “Come, Anthony. I’m positive you haven’t eaten breakfast once in the last week.”

“He’s only eaten about five times in the last week,” JARVIS piped up.

Tony rolled his eyes. “Thank you, JARVIS, but nobody asked.”

“I always want to know,” said Loki. He stood up and extended a hand. “Breakfast time, my dear.”

“You’re a pain in my ass,” Tony muttered.

“I’ll make you pancakes,” Loki half-sang, wiggling his fingers towards Tony. “Going once, going twice…”

“Y’know, this shouldn’t be allowed,” Tony said as he followed Loki into the kitchen. “You’re taking advantage of my weaknesses.”

“I’m the God of Mischief, my love. It’s in my nature. Now sit down and let me take care of you.”

“Are you sure you’re not the God of Driving Me Crazy?”

“Is that not your teammate, Rogers?”

Tony burst out laughing. “Y’know what? I’ll give you that one, Bambi. I’ll give you that one.”

He sat down at the counter and watched as Loki started to get breakfast ready. Loki always moved so easily around almost any space, so calm and comfortable, so graceful, so beautiful, and Tony couldn’t help but smile.

“What’s on your mind?” Loki asked, putting down his whisk and mixing bowl to walk over to Tony and run a hand through his hair.

“You,” Tony replied. He turned his head so he could kiss Loki’s palm. “You’re amazing, babe, and I love you so much.”

Loki smiled and kissed the top of Tony’s head. “As I love you… and I would like to show you how much I love you by making you breakfast.”

“I’m never going to win with you, am I.”

“Never.”

~~~~

“Hey, you made me a promise,” Tony said around a mouthful of pancake. “Fuck, these are good.”

“And what was that promise?” Loki asked.

“You said you were going to tell me how JARVIS called you.”

“Ah, yes. You’ll actually like this. Remember how you told me about JARVIS’s new ability to communicate with different entities?”

“Yeah…?”

“I made the charm around your neck sentient, so it could communicate,” said Loki, “and then I introduced your new sentient charm to JARVIS so that JARVIS could activate the charm and use it to contact me.”

“… holy shit. Holy _shit._ You tested JARVIS’s new abilities. For me.” Tony’s eyes shone with pure, unadulterated joy. “I love you so much. I’m annoyed as shit, but I love you. _Thank you,_ Lokes—”

“No need to thank me, my darling,” said Loki. “Although, you could argue with me and JARVIS less when we try and take care of you.”

“God, if you’re going to keep helping me with my experiments, I damn well might do whatever you want.”

Loki laughed. “You say that now, but I have every intention of holding you to it.”

“As will I,” JARVIS interjected.

“I might disable you,” Tony threatened. “Goddamn traitor, in cahoots with my boyfriend.”

“Ah, but you love us both,” said Loki, leaning over and kissing Tony’s forehead.

Tony sighed. “Yeah. Yeah, I really do.”


	3. cold

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I finally got my shit together and figured out how the AU and chronology work out. in this universe, Tony realized that Loki was being controlled almost immediately after Avengers 2012, basically cleared his name, and offered to host Loki in Stark Tower as a sort of parole, where they fell in love and started dating (cue first two chapters of this piece). TDW takes place later on as well—instead of almost immediately after Avengers 2012, it takes place about 6-12 months before CACW. Y’all can decide whether Loki had any role in Age of Ultron.
> 
> I wouldn't call this "not Team Cap friendly" per se, but there is one very brief dig on Steve. It lasts like, a second.
> 
> Huge thanks to buying_the_space_farm for looking this over for me! <3

Cold. All he can feel is cold.

_ It started months ago, when Thor came to the Tower, dejected and soaked with rain, to tell him that Loki had died in the battle he had so reluctantly joined. _

_ “A hero’s death,” he had said. “He died to protect me and Jane, and without him, all of the Nine Realms would have been doomed.” _

_ It didn’t change anything. Not really. _

_ Tony was certain at first that it was a trick, just Loki being Loki. As soon as Thor left, he gripped the charm around his neck and tried to call Loki to him… and Loki didn’t come. _

_ He tried again the next day, and the next, and every day after that for three months. _

_ After that, he stopped trying. He grew too busy to try. _

Now, he’s colder than ever, lying alone in a deserted bunker in Siberia, barely able to move. His earpiece is down, the arc reactor in his suit is busted, and seeing as two super-soldiers kicked the shit out of him, he doesn’t think he’ll be getting up any time soon.

_ This is what happens when you don’t tell anyone where you’re going,  _ Pepper’s voice says in his head, and damn it if she isn’t right as usual. If he’s lucky, Vision will find him, or T’Challa will return after having dealt with Zemo. Hell, maybe Rogers will act all  _ honorable  _ and tell someone where Tony is.

There’s nothing in the suit that will keep him warm, and the metal will only grow colder, so Tony sits up—crying out in pain all the while—and flips up the left kneecap to hit the manual release. The pieces of the suit fall apart around him, and he throws them off to the side, one by one, leaving only his thin undersuit to shield him from the elements. He pulls himself over to a wall and sits up against it, hugging his knees to his chest as best as he can.

_ Okay, here we go. Frostbite or hypothermia. Who will win? _

It’s a dark game, a painful one, the kind Tony is best at playing. A race towards his death.

His hand brushes against the necklace he refused to take off, even after he gave up, his fingers catching on the stone.

_ Here goes nothing. _

“Loki,” he whispers as he clenches the little stone with shaking fingers. “I know you’re dead—it took me a while to believe it, but I do now. It hurts every fucking day, but I’m trying—I’m trying to get over it. Guess I won’t ever, though, because I’ll be dead in a few hours. Please… please be there when I do. I don’t even believe in that shit, in an afterlife or whatever, but I’ll believe damn near anything if it means I’ll see you again. That’s all I want, is to see you again. Even for a second. All this shit with Rogers and the others and my parents and Barnes—it would be worth it if I could just have one more second with you. God, that sounds fucking stupid. It always sounds stupid. But I’ll be damned if it isn’t true.”

He doesn’t usually ramble like this, but the cold has settled so deeply in his mind that it’s clouded his thoughts and made his words senseless. Everything is fading, blurring, distorting, and even his grip on the charm is starting to fade, but he’s able to get one more sentence out.

_ “I love you.” _

His hand drops to his side, tears finally forming as he closes his eyes.

Suddenly, the air around him begins to tingle and hum as if electrified. He forces his eyes open, the last bit of adrenaline in his body rushing forward as a mockery of fight-or-flight kicks in.

He sees nothing, and then the air just in front of him shimmers green and gold, forming a silhouette and then—

_ “Loki,” _ he whispers, and he knows it’s a hallucination but he doesn’t care; the universe granted his one dying wish and Loki is  _ beautiful. _

Loki steps forward, radiant, majestic, perfect, and kneels in front of Tony. He brushes a hand across Tony’s forehead and lets it rest on his cheek.

“Hold on, my love,” Loki murmurs. “The universe isn’t ready to lose you yet.”

Tony wants to make a joke about this being a hallucination he can feel, and then he wants to ask what the fuck this imaginary Loki is talking about, but before he can do either, the world goes black.

~~~~

When he opens his eyes, he’s in his old bed, in the penthouse of Avengers Tower. The bed he had deserted after too many nights of it feeling empty. Tears form in his eyes. This must be the afterlife, and he’s not sure if he loves it or hates it.

The air shimmers green and gold, and Loki appears in front of him. He lets a breath and smiles. Eternity in his old home with Loki? That’s an afterlife he can get behind.

“This isn’t the afterlife, Anthony.”

Tony blinks a few times. He tries to speak, but his mouth won’t move. In fact, as he tries to turn his head to see Loki better, he realizes his entire body is completely paralyzed.

_ What the fuck?! What’s happening? Why can’t I move? _

“Calm yourself.” Loki places a hand on Tony’s cheek, caressing it lightly with his thumb. “I can explain all of this.”

Tony takes another deep breath, looking up at Loki expectantly.  _ Well? _

“Your injuries were severe, not to mention the cold,” Loki begins. “When I found you, you were close to death. Your body was deteriorating so rapidly that even my magic couldn’t keep up. I had no choice but to freeze most of your body in time in order for you to heal. I left your senses untouched, as well as your heart and lungs, so as not to frighten you, and your mind didn’t need to be frozen in the first place.”

_ So… I’m alive? _

Loki nods and presses a kiss to Tony’s forehead. “You’re alive, Anthony.”

_ Wait, no, hang on. If I’m alive, how the fuck are you here, and also how come you can hear me if I can’t talk? _

“I temporarily opened your mind so we could communicate,” Loki replies. “I will only hear that which you wish for me to hear. As for my being here…” He sighs and lays his hands on top of Tony’s. “What did Thor tell you?”

_ You were in a fight and you died protecting Thor and Jane and the entire universe… or something. _

“I was indeed in a fight,” says Loki. “A fight I knew I could never win. I couldn’t bear the thought of dying and never seeing you again, so I created an illusion of myself and faked my own death. I originally intended to go to Asgard just briefly, to beg Heimdall not to tell the Allfather where I was, but when I arrived, Asgard was in disarray. Odin had vanished once again without a trace. I disguised myself as him in order to pacify the people, assuming Thor would return and take the throne, but he abstained. I had no choice but to stay until either Odin returned or Thor came to his senses.”

_ I… I can respect that. I know how much you love the Asgardians. But why didn’t you tell me? Or Thor, for that matter? _

Loki is quiet for a long few moments. “Selfishness,” he finally says. “Selfishness and cowardice.”

_ I thought you never wanted to rule. _

“Oh, not with a desire to keep the throne. No, my darling, I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want to tell you I had to stay, and I didn’t tell Thor because he was bound to tell you immediately. I didn’t want to see your face when I told you I had to leave, and so I stayed quiet, not once thinking about how betrayed you might feel when I finally returned to you.”

_ I called you every day for months. You couldn’t have come just once? Just so I’d know? _

Loki lets go of Tony’s hands. “I have no excuse. I hurt you, and I was wrong. I’m sorry, Anthony. Fortunately, Thor returned to Asgard yesterday—apparently his Lady Jane ‘dumped’ him, so he decided to rule Asgard—so I never have to return.”

_ What if he hadn’t? Would you still have— _

“Saved your life?” Loki cups Tony’s cheek again. “Anthony, my love, my light, I could never let you die. Even if it meant the fall of Asgard, I would choose you over it in a heartbeat.”

This time, it’s Tony who takes a pause.  _ I’m still mad at you. _

“As you have every right to be.”

_ But you’re here now, and you said you never have to leave. _

“And I never, ever want to.” He bends down and kisses Tony’s forehead. “I adore you, Anthony. If I could go back, I never would have left you to assist Thor in the first place. I know what I did to you was unforgivable, and you never have to forgive me. But please, Anthony, please allow me to stay here with you.”

Tears fill Tony’s eyes and run down his cheeks.  _ Don’t ever leave me. Stay with me forever. Please. I love you so much and I don’t ever want to lose you again. Loki— _

“Shhhh,” Loki soothes, brushing the tears from Tony’s face. “I’m here, my love, and I’m never going to leave you again.” He waves a hand, and Tony finds himself able to move again. Immediately, he bursts into loud, heaving sobs, reaching up to clutch Loki’s shirt, and in a flash of golden light he’s being cradled in Loki’s arms, the mage’s back against the headboard as he presses kisses into Tony’s skin and croons to him in Asgardian, just as he used to.

And for the first time in months, Tony doesn’t feel cold.


	4. consequence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finished this last week and just... didn't post it, for God knows what reason. It takes place during what would be the Tony Stank scene in CACW and then after Team Cap escapes.
> 
> This one is... pretty blatantly anti-Team Cap. What can I say, I'm salty as fuck. (For the record, I don't have a problem with Wanda Maximoff as a character/concept, but her characterization in the MCU is so egregiously horrible that I couldn't help myself...)

Loki hated the phrase _I told you so._

It was the phrase he’d heard shouted at him over the centuries, from Odin, from Thor, from Sif, from the Three, from _everyone_ on Asgard, until he learned that failure was never an option. Either succeed or never try. Had he not fallen in love with Tony Stark, who was successful despite—perhaps even because of—his mistakes, he would have spent the rest of eternity with a certain bitterness, a sourness to each endeavor.

And yet, as he watched Tony cry, the writing on the paper in his fist quickly becoming unintelligible as he sat shaking against the wall of the New Avengers Facility or whatever it was called, it was all he wanted to say.

_We shouldn’t have left the Tower. You aren’t ready to be an Avenger again. James's legs could have waited. You needed to rest and recover. I told you so._

But that wouldn’t help, and Loki knew it.

One of Tony’s fingers burst through the paper. “Let me take that, darling,” Loki said softly, crossing the room so he could kneel at Tony’s side. “It’s clearly upsetting you.”

Reluctantly, Tony handed Loki the letter. “Are you mad at me?” he asked shakily. “You look mad.”

“I am mad. Furious, actually,” Loki replied, “but never at you, my love.” He held up the letter Tony had just handed him. “It is Rogers who has earned my ire. He had no right to send you this letter, not after what he’s done to you.”

“It’s not that bad,” Tony shrugged.

“FRIDAY, how long has Anthony been crying?”

“Fifteen minutes and counting, Prince Loki.”

“That’s fifteen minutes and counting too long,” Loki declared before Tony could say _damn it, Fri; you’re worse than your brother._ “And I read that letter, Anthony. Everything he said was completely inappropriate, especially considering everything you’ve done for him.”

Tony shrugged again. “It is what it is, I guess.”

Loki sighed. “Come sit with me on the couch, my dear.” Tony nodded and stood up, but before he could start walking, Loki held him close and teleported across the room. He sat down with Tony in his arms and began to stroke his hair the way he knew he liked it.

“You deserve better,” he said quietly. “I know you have grown used to being pushed around by Rogers and the other Avengers, but you deserve better than that.” Loki pressed a gentle kiss to the top of Tony’s head. “All these years, you’ve given so much to so many. How many hours of your time have you given to help the Avengers, to create technology for them and protect them when they hurt others, only to be met with distrust and disdain and disrespect?”

A choked sound emerged from Tony’s throat, and he pressed his face into Loki’s chest. Loki conjured a blanket and wrapped it around Tony’s shoulders.

“He lied to me,” Tony whimpered, his voice muffled by Loki’s chest. “I thought my dad got himself and my mom killed and all this time Cap knew the truth and didn’t tell me.”

“I know how you feel,” said Loki. “Odin lied to me about my heritage for centuries—don’t, Anthony; it’s not a competition. Realizing you’ve been deceived is incredibly painful.” He held Tony a little tighter and then pulled away. “I think it’s time we went home, my love.”

Tony shook his head, shrugging the blanket off of his shoulders. “I have to help Rhodey test out his new legs.”

“Tones.” Rhodey had been quietly observing the last half an hour, but only now was choosing to speak. “I can wait another day. I had no idea that the package for you had this bullshit letter in it.”

“I really don’t think that’s a good idea… and I don’t like you being here alone…”

“Can you help James with the prosthetics in the Tower?” Loki asked. “I am happy to bring him over later.”

Tony shook his head. “The compound is a better testing space, and teleporting while injured sucks ass.”

“Hmmm…” Loki thought for a few moments. “How about you help remotely? Between FRIDAY and my magic, I’m sure we can work out a way for James to test out his legs while you support him from home.”

“That’s not half bad an idea,” Rhodey piped up. “Honestly, Tones, if they’re anywhere near as intuitive as War Machine, I won’t need much help.”

Loki gave Rhodey an appreciative smile and went back to playing with Tony’s hair. “We really should go home, Anthony.”

Tony was going to argue, but then Loki brushed his thumb against the back of his neck and he melted instantly. Damn him. Of course he remembered Tony’s favorite spot.

“Asshole,” he muttered, but he rested his head against Loki’s shoulder nonetheless. Loki pulled the blanket back over his body and used a bit of magic to warm it.

“It’s time to go, my darling,” Loki murmured, rubbing Tony’s back in small circles with his free hand. Tony hummed softly and curled into Loki’s arms. “You’re still healing from Siberia, you have yet to sleep through a night, and you haven’t eaten in far too long.”

It took a few moments, but eventually, Tony nodded. Loki waved goodbye to Rhodey and the pair disappeared.

Tony was nearly asleep by the time they arrived back in the Tower, so much so that Loki had to pick him up so he wouldn’t collapse.

“Maybe you’re right,” Tony mumbled as Loki laid him down on the bed.

“About what?” Loki asked. Tendrils of green seidr curled around Tony, removing his shoes and swapping his clothes for pajamas.

“I… should sleep…” Tony yawned and stretched a hand out towards Loki.

“Indeed,” said Loki, sitting down on the bed and taking Tony’s hand. “Rest, Anthony.”

As if by command, Tony’s eyes slipped closed and his body went limp. Loki couldn’t help but chuckle as he spread the warm blanket back over Tony’s body. _Sweet, precious thing,_ he thought with a fond smile, _always trying to push himself too hard._

He would have stayed there for hours, but this was the perfect opportunity to handle something he very much wished to handle. Laying two fingers on Tony’s temple, he reached deep into the mortal’s subconscious. He would leave a message there, one Tony wouldn’t hear but still would act on without realizing.

“Anthony,” he murmured, “I have business to which I must attend. I hope I can complete it quickly enough that you are still asleep when I return, but if you do wake and I am not there, do not be alarmed. Use your charm to call me, and I will return within minutes. But until then, sleep deeply, my darling. I promise that this rest will help you feel so much better.” He stroked Tony’s cheek, and Tony smiled in his sleep. “And one more thing before I leave, Anthony, one more thing you absolutely must know: _I love you._ I love you more than I could ever articulate. You are my light, my star, my treasure, and I promise I’ll return to you always.”

Tony made a small humming noise, and Loki could sense his words taking root in Tony’s subconscious, nestling in such a place that they would subtly soothe him should he wake up alone.

Loki wasn’t done yet, though. He knew that Tony had had a nightmare every single night since they’d returned from Siberia. Often times Loki could prevent them from becoming unbearable just with touches and soothing words, but without his physically being at Tony’s side, a terrible dream was inevitable without magical assistance. Calling on his seidr once more, he began to weave an intricate network of wards and protections around Tony’s mind and even his body to ensure that nothing would harm him. Until he recharged the wards he had placed inside the Tower itself, these would have to do.

Satisfied with both his spellwork and the peaceful expression on Tony’s face, Loki kissed his forehead one more time and left the room. He had someone to find.

~~~~

Loki laughed as he arrived at the rogues’ hiding place. They’d managed to make themselves undetectable to human surveillance—although exactly _how_ they’d managed that without Tony’s assistance remained a mystery—but for Loki, it was simple. The little one, the one they called Witch, was foolish and impulsive, using her powers without restraint, and her friends were either too enamored or too senseless (or both) to tell her to stop. It wasn’t true magic; of that Loki was absolutely certain, but it was energy, and Loki was able to trace it in a matter of minutes.

He reached out to the sentient charm, still safely secured around Tony’s neck and—reassured that Tony was still sound asleep—stepped forward. Immediately, a siren went off.

“You’re lucky I didn’t put an iota of effort into disabling your alarm,” he said as nearly the entire band of traitors rushed out. “It’s incredible how abysmally it’s constructed. Oh, and since I’m sure one of you is going to address the obvious, I’m not dead.”

Rogers had his mouth open, but when Loki finished his sentence, he closed it.

“Okay, so you’re alive,” said Romanoff. “Doesn’t explain how you found us, or why you’re here.”

“How I found you?” Loki laughed. “Your new friend is a beacon, Agent Romanoff. She’s nearly impossible to miss.”

“Leave her alone,” Rogers growled, stepping in front of the so-called Witch.

“I don’t plan on doing anything to her,” Loki said airily. Then he turned to Rogers and looked him in the eye. “I’m here for you, _Captain._ ” He spat the last word, eyes flashing green.

“The hell did he do?” One of the new ones, Wilson apparently, stepped forward, as if to protect a man nearly twice his size. _Interesting,_ Loki noted. _This one is quick to protect Rogers, but the one who caused this mess in the first place remains silent._ Indeed, the man with the metal arm, Barnes, had yet to say a word.

The piece of paper appeared in Loki’s hand. “He decided it would be appropriate to send _this_ to the man he’d betrayed.” Wilson stepped forward and tried to take the piece of paper, but Loki slapped his hands away. “Impotent mortal,” he hissed. “This is between me and your precious leader. Stop trying to protect him.”

“I’ll do what I damn well—”

“Sam.” Rogers put a hand in front of his teammate. “It’s fine.” He turned to Loki. “Yes, I sent Tony a letter. What of it?”

“Why did you send it?” Loki demanded. “And I’ll have you know that if you lie to me, I will know, and I will force you to tell the truth in a way you won’t enjoy.”

Rogers said nothing for a few moments. He tried to look away, but a subtle spell forced him to meet Loki’s gaze.

“I wanted to make sure we stayed in touch,” he said quietly. “I figured he would need me at some point—”

“Oh?” Loki asked, lips curling into a smile. “Or did you know you would need him? Because I read your letter, Captain. I read it multiple times, and what I saw were words meant to fill Tony Stark with guilt. I saw words meant to coerce Tony Stark into forgiving you for lying to him for two years, and in your pocket right now I see a phone that you’re waiting for to ring because every day you spend on the run, you realize that you cannot survive for much longer without Tony Stark. You know the authorities are looking for you, and you hope that he will warn you or even protect you when they arrive, despite the fact that you left him to die.”

“I didn’t—I knew T’Challa was there—”

 _“HE WAS NEARLY DEAD!”_ Loki roared. The little Witch shrieked and hid behind Romanoff. Loki lowered his voice to barely above a dark, icy whisper. “By the time I found him, he was so close to death that I nearly couldn’t save him. I had to freeze his body in time just to ensure my spells could keep up with the deterioration of every cell in his body. Broken, beaten, covered in bruises and blood that was frozen to his skin. That is how you left him, and had I been even a few minutes late, he would have been gone.”

“I didn’t know,” Rogers begged. “I swear, I had no idea he was hurt that badly—it’s hard to see when he has that suit on—”

“You knew how cold it was,” Loki snapped. “You knew there was a chance of him dying, and you left him there.”

“What was he supposed to do?” the little Witch retorted. “Stark didn’t have to go to him in the first place, and Stark started the fight, anyway.”

“He was trying to call a _truce,_ you fool—” Loki broke off. “I don’t have time for this. I’m here to deliver a warning on behalf of Asgard.”

Wilson snorted. “I’m sorry, what?”

“This isn’t a joke,” Loki deadpanned. “Your actions have put Midgard’s relationship with Asgard in jeopardy.”

“And how have we done that?” Romanoff asked, derisiveness flooding from her voice.

“In quite a few ways, actually. You should all add ‘antagonizing Asgard’ to your list of superpowers. First, in Asgard, it is the height of cowardice to leave a man to die.”

“We’re not in Asgard, genius,” said the little Witch.

“Why should we ally ourselves with a realm whose supposed most honorable hero engages in such dishonorable behavior?” Loki retorted. “Secondly, your actions against Tony Stark specifically are direct aggression against the Asgardian throne itself.”

The little Witch laughed. “In what universe does attacking _Stark_ have anything to do with Asgard?”

“In the universe where he is a dear friend of our King,” Loki replied without missing a beat. “Not to mention, seeing as Thor restored my royal status upon taking the throne, Tony Stark qualifies as a royal consort under Asgardian law. For all intents and purposes, the man you betrayed and wounded is part of the Asgardian royal family.”

The rogues all fell silent.

“You could pass your congratulations to my brother,” Loki suggested. “Perhaps recognizing his authority as King would ease your chances when the Asgardian court decides whether or not to wage war on Midgard.”

“You wouldn’t.” Rogers glared Loki in the eye. “Tony would never let you punish an entire planet over this.”

“I never said _I_ was in favor of waging war on Midgard,” said Loki. “And as my brother’s heir and most trusted advisor, if I display hesitation, the realm will likely be spared. But that won’t stop me from suggesting that Asgard turns its forces on _you,_ Steve Rogers, you and your little band of traitors and charlatans.”

Loki watched as a flurry of emotions flitted across Rogers’ eyes.

“Your Highness,” he eventually tried, and Loki _relished_ in how painful it clearly was for him to say those words, “we have nothing right now. We have no defenses. Yes, I made a mistake in not telling Tony what I’d learned about his parents right away, and I shouldn’t have let it escalate into a fight. But there’s no way we could handle a full-scale assault of Asgardian warriors. We’d be annihilated.”

“You left a member of the Asgardian royal family who considered you a friend to die,” said Loki. “Half of the court would want you brought to Asgard and executed. Engaging in fair and honorable combat would be merciful.”

“And _King Thor_ is on board with all of this?” Romanoff asked. “He’s our friend too, you know.”

“I wouldn’t speak of him with such contempt,” Loki warned. “But as of now, he doesn’t know. This is your warning to cease and desist. Leave Tony Stark alone, or I will tell the King and court of your actions, and your fate will be in their hands.”

In the back of his mind, he felt the charm calling him, Tony’s sleepy voice on the other end. He recognized that voice well—Tony had just woken up.

Well, he’d scared them properly. Time to go.

“I’ll take my leave,” he said, a little too cheerfully, and then he vanished.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the record, Loki does not tell Thor about Team Cap's shenanigans, in part because he's mostly talking out his ass—since he and Tony aren't married in this verse, Tony's status as a "royal consort" would be disputed, ESPECIALLY since Tony isn't an Asgardian citizen. But don't you love the idea of them teaming up?


	5. called

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The longest chapter yet—and it is PURE fluff! Enjoy!!
> 
> A MASSIVE thank you to my amazing friend Elly (BeyondHope) for giving this a read!

At long last, things were okay.

The rogues, thoroughly frightened by Loki’s threat to tell all of Asgard of their buffoonery, hadn’t uttered so much as a peep in months. Rhodey had moved back into Stark Tower almost as soon as he could walk, Vision joining him soon after. With Vision’s help, Loki had also managed to find Bruce Banner and bring him back to Earth just in time for Tony’s birthday, and between him, Rhodey, and Peter Parker, Tony was in the lab more than ever, inventing anything and everything he wanted. Meanwhile, Loki had transformed one of the spare rooms of the penthouse into his personal workshop, where he took up properly studying magic again. It had been years since he had learned something new.

Tony was absolutely on top of the world. After nearly a year of separation and misery, he was once again waking up in his beloved Loki’s arms every morning and falling asleep in them every night. Loki still made occasional trips to Asgard, but they only ever lasted a few hours and were always “conveniently” scheduled when Tony was stuck at SI meetings all day. It had happened three times, and Tony still couldn’t tell whether Loki was in cahoots with Pepper, FRIDAY, or both.

As for Loki, he was happier than he had been in centuries, if ever. Seeing his precious Anthony safe and happy was enough to satisfy him for all of eternity, but it was also nice to be a beloved prince and trusted advisor back on Asgard, as opposed to a disgraced exile and a disgusting monster. Despite the fact that Thor knew Loki had no intentions of returning to live on Asgard, much less rule it, he had made it clear that the realm would always be available to Loki as a second home. Loki knew that one day, he would likely return, but he didn’t like to think about the repercussions of being in love with a mortal too often.

For now, he was perfectly content to live in the penthouse of Stark Tower once again with his new family and the love of his life.

He was just about to open up his newest ancient spellbook when he felt Tony’s charm calling him. Loki reached out towards the call and found that it was  _ different  _ somehow. It certainly wasn’t JARVIS on the other end; Tony’s voice all but sang through in the energy linking them together, but the emotions within Tony’s voice were new.

For the first time ever, Tony wasn’t calling Loki in a time of crisis.

Following the call, Loki willed himself to the lab, where Tony was working on what looked like a modification for Peter’s spider-suit, but Loki wasn’t sure.

“Anthony?”

It took a moment or two, but eventually Tony looked up. “Oh—hey, Lokes.”

“You called me?”

Tony nodded and smiled. “Yeah. Yeah, I wanted to talk to you about something.”

Loki couldn’t resist that face. He pulled Tony to his feet and stole a kiss. “Yes, my darling?”

“Fuck, you’re precious.” Tony rested his forehead against Loki’s for a few moments. “Uh. Listen. Loki, I love you. More than anything, more than anyone. Being back here with you for the last few months… I swear I’ve never been happier. You make me laugh, you make me smile, you help me test out my inventions even though you have no fucking clue how they work—”

“I know how  _ some  _ of them work,” Loki protested.

“You saved my life,” Tony continued. “You saved my life and brought me home, and I don’t know what you did but I know you’re why I haven’t had any bullshit since that letter, and now we’re here with my two best friends and things are  _ okay,  _ and that’s all because of you. Because of you, I’m okay—fuck, I’m  _ happy.  _ I didn’t think I could ever be happy, and here I am.”

Loki’s breath caught in his chest at Tony’s words, at the  _ earnestness  _ in his mortal’s eyes as he spoke. “I—I love you too,” he replied, unable to say more.

Tony cupped Loki’s cheek with one hand for just a moment before trailing it down his neck, his shoulder, down his arm until their fingers were laced together. Out of the corner of his eye, Loki could see him picking something small up off of the corner of the table with his free hand, and Loki barely had time to process what it was that he had grabbed before Tony was kneeling in front of him and  _ oh. _

“Loki, God of Mischief, love of my life, will you marry me?”

_ He didn’t call me “Odinson,”  _ Loki realized fondly, and  _ of course _ he hadn’t because Tony  _ knew.  _ Tony always  _ knew,  _ and Loki knew as well.

_“Yes,”_ he breathed, gazing down into Tony’s eyes as they sparkled under the workshop lights. “Yes, Anthony, my darling love, I will marry you.” He pulled Tony to standing and kissed him soundly. “In fact, now that Asgard doesn’t despise me, I just might have to marry you twice.”

Tony laughed, joy and perhaps relief flooding his features. “Babe, you can marry me as many times and on as many planets as you want.” He took Loki’s hand in his, and it was only then that Loki actually looked at the ring. Intricate bands of gold twined together and embedded with rubies and emeralds, and in the center, there lay a single blue-white crystal.

“What is that in the center?” he asked as Tony slid the ring onto his finger. It fit perfectly, and Loki was pretty sure he recognized the flash in Tony’s eyes as the one usually reserved for a perfect lab result. “The crystal, I don’t recognize it.”

Tony tapped his chest. “Sure you do. You’ve been seeing it since we met. It’s the element that powers my arc reactor. And the band, too—that’s not regular gold; it’s the gold and titanium alloy I make my suits out of.”

_ “Oh…”  _ Loki stared down at the crystal again and immediately saw the resemblance, the same blue-white that meant  _ Man of Iron. _ It was familiar; it was  _ home.  _ “What is it called? You Midgardians have names for your elements, do you not?”

“Not this one,” said Tony. “My dad, may he rest in whatever the exact opposite of peace is, discovered it a few decades ago, built a model for a perfect city based off of it, and left me to rediscover it just before I met you. It was perfect timing, too; turned out the shit I’d been using to run my arc reactor before was poisoning me.”

_ “Anthony,”  _ Loki tsked.

“Hey! At the time, it was the only viable known element!”

“I know.” Loki pressed a kiss to Tony’s forehead before returning his gaze to the ring. “So… once you found out about this secret element…?”

“I dug up some old machinery and synthesized it,” Tony replied simply. “I tore up my workshop the first time, but I’ve gotten better at it now. Once I  _ really  _ have it down to a science, I’ll start developing it into fuel cells that SI can sell.”

Loki brushed a finger against the ring. “This all implies that you made this yourself.”

“As if I could trust some random person to make a ring good enough for my godly fiancé.”

“Oh, I like the sound of that,” said Loki, grinning mischievously. “Say that again.”

“Which part?” Tony teased.

“All of it.”

_ “My godly fiancé.”  _ He opened his mouth to say something else, but Loki grabbed him by the collar and kissed him again before he could.

“I couldn’t resist myself,” Loki said  _ almost  _ sheepishly as Tony pulled away, laughing.

“Well, we all know I’m irresistible.”

Loki rolled his eyes. “And insufferable.”

“You’d marry someone insufferable?”

“Only if I’ve pushed them out of a window first.” They both laughed, and then they kissed again, taking a little longer this time. Tony wound his arms around Loki’s neck, Loki returning the embrace to stroke Tony’s back.

“I love you,” Tony breathed as they pulled apart. “I love you so much.”

“And I you, my darling,” Loki murmured back. “Oh, how I love you.” He ran his hands through Tony’s hair, bringing them down to cup his cheeks. Tony leaned into one of his palms and turned his head slightly to kiss it.

They stayed like that for a few moments, content to be together and revel in the fact that they were  _ engaged,  _ and then Loki broke the silence.

“So… did you make a ring for yourself?”

Tony’s face flushed. “Well… no. I could, but… I was kinda hoping that if you accepted, you would make something for me.”

Loki smiled. “But of course I will,” he said warmly. “It wouldn’t do for you to put so much time and effort into something as exquisite as this only for me not to reciprocate. But…” He trailed off, thinking for a few seconds. “I don’t think I’ll be making a ring for you.”

“Oh?” Tony tilted his head to the side just slightly, curiosity in his eyes.

“No, no, I don’t think so. You see, I can enchant this beautiful ring and use it to help with my spellwork, but you can’t wear rings in your lab, can you?”

“Sometimes I can, but not always,” Tony explained. “Depends on the project.”

“Yes, well, I want you to be able to wear the symbol of our engagement all the time, especially in your workshop where you are clearly so at home and so happy,” said Loki. “And there is something of yours which I’ve wished to ‘upgrade,’ as you call it, for quite a long time.” He reached out towards the little charm on Tony’s neck, still there after all those years. Instinctively, Tony’s right hand snapped to his chest and closed around it. “May I?”

“What—oh.” Tony blinked as he noticed his hand. “Yeah. Yeah, of course.” He reached towards the back of his neck and ran his fingers along the fingerprint sensor he had installed on the clasp. A few moments later, the electromagnets holding the clasp together deactivated and the necklace fell into his hand. He extended it to Loki. “Sorry.”

“Not to worry, love,” Loki said mirthfully. “I only wish to examine it for now, and then I’ll return it to you. Obviously, I will make the new one from scratch.”

Tony smiled. “Thank you, babe. I’m so excited to see what you come up with. I’m sure it’ll be amazing.”

“I certainly hope so.”

~~~~

A few days later, Loki sauntered into the lab and interrupted Tony’s conversation with Bruce to declare that he had  _ something special _ for Tony that he had to come to see  _ right away. _

“Sorry, Big Green, but I don’t think I can say no to my fiancé,” Tony said as he stood up and walked to Loki’s side. “Not when he’s so excited.”

“Go on,” said Bruce. “I’ll be here when you get back.”

Loki led Tony upstairs and into his workshop. Tony couldn’t help but smile as they entered. The room was just so  _ Loki,  _ all dim lights and tall bookshelves and tables full of things Tony could never explain. The room seemed to  _ hum  _ somehow, as if there was something alive in the air, but Tony knew that this was Loki’s magic.

“So, you have something special?” Tony asked.

“I do,” Loki grinned. He gently kissed Tony’s temple before going over to his desk and picking something up off of it. “Your new necklace, as promised.”

_ “Oh,”  _ Tony whispered, unsure why his voice had dropped so low. Loki opened his hands to reveal what he had created. “Oh, Loki, it’s beautiful.”

Nestled in Loki’s palm was a delicate golden chain made up of almost imperceptibly thin and tiny links. Tony brushed a finger against the chain to feel that it was soft and light, the sort of thing that he wouldn’t notice against his skin even under the suit. The charm in the middle was the same black stone as the one currently around Tony’s neck, and he recognized some of the golden runes etched into it, but instead of a circle, the stone was carved into an intricate shape, a symbol of some kind. And, most different of all, on each side of the charm, Loki had attached a small gemstone—a ruby on one side and an emerald on the other, much like the ones in his ring—each set into a flat circular charm. Upon closer inspection, Tony realized that the two gemstones each had their own link which was chained to two spots, meaning that the larger charm was caught between them. Tony had grown used to occasionally adjusting his current necklace as the charm slipped and slid, but with the new one, that would not be an issue.

Simply put, the new necklace was absolutely stunning, perfect to Tony in every way, and he almost couldn’t believe that Loki had made something so wonderful for him.

“Do you like it?” Loki asked hesitantly.

“Oh my God, yes, I absolutely love it.” Tony brushed a finger against the charm in the center. “This is new. I’m sure it means something.”

“It does,” Loki nodded. “It’s an ancient symbol referring to the inimitable magic within a bond between souls. Unless I completely misunderstand the concept of marriage, it seemed appropriate.”

Tony’s eyes all but filled with tears. “It is.”

“And I’ve made other changes beyond the appearance,” said Loki. He touched the chain with one long finger. “This metal is one of the strongest in existence. On Asgard, we use it to make our deadliest weapons. Even a chain as delicate as this cannot be physically or magically broken, and I’ve woven spells into the metal to protect you from harm. As for the charm itself, it will call me if you touch it just like your old one did, but I have changed the spells on it slightly. Creating it in this shape meant that I couldn’t make it sentient—since the symbol refers to the bond of our souls, introducing a third entity would be inappropriate—so instead I made it more sensitive, as I had considered doing before. Now it will detect your physical and mental state and call me when you need me, regardless of whether you actively choose to call me. And finally, if you do call me when you’re in a state of distress, I have enchanted the charm to soothe and comfort you until I arrive, as well as augment the protective spells in the chain if you are in physical danger.”

“Damn.” Tony couldn’t help but smile. “You really thought of everything, Loki. I love it.” He looked down at the necklace again and brushed his fingers against the symbol, the ruby, the emerald, the chain. “Hang on. There’s no clasp on this. How do I put it on?”

“Do you accept it?” Loki asked.

“Hell fucking yes I accept it.” Tony reached behind him, deactivated the electromagnet on his old necklace, and put it down on a side table, never to be worn again. “Fuck, Loki, it’s beautiful. I couldn’t have asked for anything more perfect.”

Loki smiled, snapped his fingers, and in two quick flashes of golden light, the new necklace disappeared from his hand and reappeared around Tony’s neck. Tony looked down at the necklace and fiddled with it gently.

“Is it too long? Too short?” Loki asked.

Tony shook his head, looking up to meet Loki’s slightly concerned gaze. “No, it’s fine where it is. That was a genius move, by the way, teleporting it onto me. You’re so fucking brilliant and I love you so much.”

“I love you too.” Loki stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Tony, kissing the top of his head. “My wonderful fiancé.”

“Mmmm,” Tony hummed, nuzzling into Loki’s chest. He all but melted into Loki’s arms when the mage started to stroke his hair. “I see why you like the way that sounds.”

They stayed like that for some time, lost in each other. Loki continued to thread his long fingers through Tony’s hair, guiding the inventor’s head to rest on his shoulder.

“Should go back to the lab,” Tony mumbled, but he made no effort to move.

“You’ve been in there for hours,” said Loki. “I’m sure Bruce will understand if you decide to call it a day.”

“You just want me all to yourself,” Tony accused, looking up at Loki with a hint of a smile.

“Hm. Perhaps I do.” Loki kissed the top of Tony’s head. “But of course, if you really must go…”

“We’re almost done with what we were working on,” said Tony. “And if Bruce worked on it while I was here, it’ll be even closer.”

Loki nodded. “I understand, my love. Go finish. After all, we have eternity.”

Tony blinked a few times. “Eternity?”

_ Shit.  _ Loki hadn’t meant to say that.

“I… that’s a thing? I just assumed we’d be together until I died, and then…”

“If that’s what you want, then that is what we’ll do,” Loki said quickly. “I am happy to spend the next few decades at your side, and will gladly use my magic to make your aging as painless as possible. But… it is possible for you to become immortal as well. In Asgard there grows an orchard of golden apples, which grant those who eat them eternal life. With Thor’s permission, I can easily obtain one for you.”

“You’d do that?” Tony asked. “You’d make me immortal and stay with me forever?”

Loki carefully cupped Tony’s face in his hands. “Anthony Stark, my love, my light, I would stay with you until the end of the universe.”

Tony smiled softly, and then he sighed. “I’m not sure yet,” he said. “I have to think about it.”

“Of course,” said Loki. “I completely understand. Take your time to think about it.”

“Thanks, Lokes.” Tony leaned forward and pecked Loki on the cheek. “I really need to go. I’ll only be a few more hours, okay?”

“Alright,” said Loki. “Have FRIDAY inform me when you’d like me to start on dinner.”

Tony was about to protest, to say that Loki didn’t have to make dinner, but Loki leaned forward and kissed him softly before he could, and as he pulled away, Tony realized that they were back in the lab.

“I’ll see you later, my love,” said Loki, and with that he vanished.

“Show-off,” Tony muttered, but he couldn’t help but smile. By the time he turned to face Bruce, he was grinning like a loon. “Alright, Brucie. Let’s finish this.”

~~~~

_ One year later…  _

They were curled up on the couch together, watching Ocean’s Eleven for the five millionth time, when suddenly Tony pulled out of Loki’s embrace and stared at him.

“Pause, FRIDAY,” Loki said softly, and the screen went still and silent. “Are you alright, darling?”

“I’m ready,” Tony blurted. “I… I wanted to wait until after… after our honeymoon, at least—I don’t know why, really; I just—anyway. It all seemed so surreal when you first told me about the magic apple thing, but now…”

Loki blinked a few times. They hadn’t discussed Tony’s immortality since that day in the workshop. They’d gotten married—it was a wonderful wedding; Loki nearly cried tears of joy every time he thought about it—and had their honeymoon, but not once did they talk about Loki’s offer. Loki had long resigned himself to the fact that Tony wasn’t interested, although he still had an Apple waiting in his pocket dimension, just in case.

And now… 

“You—you want to become immortal? Are you sure?” Loki sat up a little straighter and took Tony’s hands in his. “It’s an irreversible decision, Anthony. Once you eat the Apple, there is no going back.”

“I know. That’s why I took so long to think about it. Lokes, I know we haven’t talked about it, but I’ve thought about it almost every day… and the more I think about it, the more I want to go for it. Eternity with you… how could I ever refuse that?”

Loki smiled and kissed Tony’s forehead. “Now, perhaps, you see why I was so interested in the notion. And you’re quite in luck, that I’ve had one ready for you.” Moments later, the shiny Apple was in his hand.

“Of course you have,” Tony chuckled. “I love you, you know that?”

“You’ve mentioned it,” Loki replied. “And I love you, more than anything.” He conjured a plate and a knife and effortlessly cut the Apple into pieces. “It’s best not to eat it whole,” he explained as he handed the plate to Tony. “Forcing that much magic into your system that quickly can do unpleasant things to you.”

“Makes sense.” Tony stared down at the slices, arranged neatly on the plate. “I eat this, and I become immortal.”

Loki nodded. “And, if I understand the magic correctly, it will restore your body to its peak.”

“Say no more,” Tony deadpanned, and he picked up the first slice and ate it in two quick bites. “Oh  _ shit,  _ that’s good.”

Per Loki’s admonishments, he took his time in eating the Apple. He could feel the magic rushing through his body, relieving him of the aches and pains he’d been used to for the last ten or fifteen years. Hell, he swore he could feel his fucking  _ liver  _ repair itself from decades of alcohol damage.

The leftover aches and scars from the reactor were the last to heal. As he finished the final slice, it felt as though massive weights were lifted from his chest, allowing him to breathe deeply for the first time since Afghanistan.

“Damn,” he said quietly, rolling his shoulders, opening and closing his hands, tensing and releasing muscles.

“How do you feel?” Loki asked.

Tony smiled. “Fucking incredible.”

“Get used to it,” said Loki, “for you will feel this way every day for the rest of eternity.”

Tony’s smile grew, and he opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by a massive yawn.

“That would be the Apple,” Loki explained. “Its magic has restored your body, but the rest of the enchantments to make you immortal will happen while you are asleep.”

“Guess it’s nap time, then.” Tony nuzzled into Loki’s side as the mage vanished the plate.

“No, my love; you’ll be asleep for quite a bit longer than that,” Loki explained. He pulled Tony a little closer and teleported them to their bedroom.

“How long?”

“A few days, most likely.”

“I… y’know what, as long as you have FRIDAY record Pepper when you explain to her why I’m missing whatever meetings she wants me to go to…”

Loki laughed. “Of course. I’m sure her reaction will be quite amusing.” He waved a hand, and Tony found himself in his favorite pajamas. “Rest, Anthony.”

“Oh no you don’t.” Tony grabbed Loki’s wrist and pulled him down onto the bed, gazing up at him with soft eyes. “Stay.”

Well, he couldn’t refuse that face. “Alright,” he said softly. “I’ll stay.” He laid down next to Tony and instantly, the smaller man flung himself across Loki’s body, laying his head on Loki’s chest.

“Good,” Tony mumbled sleepily. He looked up at Loki. “I love you.”

Loki smiled and kissed the top of his husband’s head. “And I love you.”

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on Tumblr @ hyperchaoticstarlight, marvel-at-these-gays, and tinytonys!


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